Rereading Tolkien - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

William Cloud Hicklin · 06-16-2025, 04:28 PM

Sadly, having read, studied, analyzed and written about it for so long,, I am minded of the sensation Tolkien observed in Letter 232:

"My remarks, I fear, must savour a little of the legendary German professor, who wrote a large book on Das Komische. After which, whenever anyone told him a funny story, he thought for a moment, and then nodded, saying: 'Yes, there is that joke'."

Familiarity does not I think breed contempt, but it does somewhat dull the joy and wonder.

06-16-2025, 04:28 PM	#39
William Cloud Hicklin Loremaster of Annúminas Join Date: Oct 2006 Posts: 2,330	Sadly, having read, studied, analyzed and written about it for so long,, I am minded of the sensation Tolkien observed in Letter 232: "My remarks, I fear, must savour a little of the legendary German professor, who wrote a large book on Das Komische. After which, whenever anyone told him a funny story, he thought for a moment, and then nodded, saying: 'Yes, there is that joke'." Familiarity does not I think breed contempt, but it does somewhat dull the joy and wonder. __________________ The entire plot of The Lord of the Rings could be said to turn on what Sauron didn’t know, and when he didn’t know it.